MARKET SNAPSHOT: U.S. Stocks: Futures Up; New Home Sales On Deck

By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stock futures indicated gains for Wall Street on Wednesday, with housing data expected to show a modest bump in sales and investors on the lookout for hints about interest rates from two Federal Reserve members due to speak.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJZ4) rose 42 points, or 0.3%, to 17,005, while those for the S&P 500 index (SPZ4) picked up 6 points, or 0.3%, to 1,978.50. Futures for the Nasdaq 100 index (NDZ4) tacked on 15 points, or 0.4%, to 4,052. (Read more in Need to Know column: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gold-10000-and-why-golden-is-worse-than-death-when-it-comes-to-crosses-2014-09-24.)

A gain for Wall Street would break three straight sessions of losses. Stocks fell Tuesday as investors flocked to perceived safe-haven investments such as U.S. Treasurys on concerns about slowing global growth and escalating war in the Middle East. The S&P 500 (SPX) lost 0.6% Dow industrials (DJI) gave up 0.7%, and the Nasdaq Composite (RIXF) declined 0.4%.

Data: At 10 a.m. Eastern, the U.S. Commerce Department will release its report on August new-home sales. Analysts are looking for a modest gain to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 426,000. The pace of sales in July fell to a four-month low at 412,000.

Crédit Agricole expects August new home sales to have risen to a rate of 424,000 in the wake of strengthening confidence among home builders. The NAHB Housing Market Index in August held to a "healthy reading above 50," and in particular, "sentiment improved in the Northeast and Midwest regions where sales have fallen over the past two months," said Crédit Agricole economist Philippe Vilasboas in a note.

Investors will monitor a speech by Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester at 12:15 p.m. Eastern as she gives her views on the economy to the Cleveland Association for Business Economics. Mester is a voting member of the Fed's policy committee this year.

At 1 p.m. Eastern, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans will talk about the economy and monetary policy at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Evans will be a voting member on the rate-setting panel in 2015.

Stocks to watch: The Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement division is investigating whether bond giant Pacific Investment Management Co., run by investor Bill Gross, artificially boosted the returns its Pimco Total Return (BOND) exchange-traded fund, The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday.

KB Home (KBH) is expected to report third-quarter earnings of 42 cents a share, according to a consensus survey by FactSet.

Consulting firm Accenture (ACN) is likely to post fourth-quarter earnings of $1.10 a share.

Shares of Citizens Financial Group (CFG) are slated to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The regional bank's initial public offering price of $21.50 a share is below the expected range of between $23 and $25 a share.

Bed, Bath & Beyond (BBBY) shares climbed nearly 7% in premarket trade. The home-furnishings retailer late Tuesday posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings.

Starbucks (SBUX) could be in focus after the coffee chain said it's moving to take full ownership of its Japanese operations for more than $900 million.

Lipocine (LPCN) is expected to hold a conference call discuss "top-line results" from its late-stage study of an oral Androgen replacement.

Shares of Atossa Genetics (ATOS) lost half their value late Tuesday after the Food and Drug Administration didn't clear its ForeCYTE breast aspirator for marketing in the U.S.

Other markets: Japan's Nikkei Average shed 0.2%. Meanwhile, the dollar fell against the yen (USDJPY) after Japan's prime minister said he's cautious about the yen's recent weakness.

European stocks wavered following a sluggish reading on German business confidence. Gold futures (GCZ4) edged up and oil futures(CLX4) were little changed ahead of weekly supply data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

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